


Charles Schulz Was Right

by merlins_sister



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Baby!Fic, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-13
Updated: 2011-10-13
Packaged: 2017-10-24 14:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/264420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlins_sister/pseuds/merlins_sister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth discovers that when going through a massive life change, love and friends are all you need. Though a little chocolate can help as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Charles Schulz Was Right

**Author's Note:**

> "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” - Charles M. Schulz

Elizabeth stopped just inside the door and waited as it softly closed behind her. Carson busied himself in front of her, packing his bag.

"Hey," she managed, not risking any more. She could feel the emotions rising in her, and didn't know how much longer she could keep them inside. A bit tearful the pregnancy books had said. This wasn't a bit tearful, this whole sobbing at the drop of a hat, letting anxieties overwhelm her. This was...something. Just wait till she could get hold of those authors.

"Hello, love," Carson replied, glancing briefly back. "Thought I would pack a few more jumpers, as there seem to be conflicting advice on the weather on the Demos home planet." Elizabeth watched as he pushed another sweater into the backpack. "Honestly, with all this technology, you would think it would be possible to get an accurate weather forecast around here."

"You would think," she replied, her voice sounding strained to her ears. To Carson as well it seems as he turned around, a faint look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright, love?"

She tried to hold it together, pushing a smile on to her face. He didn't need this. He was going off world. He didn't need to know what an emotional basket case his partner was turning into.

But she couldn't do it. With the seemingly sane part of her left looking in, she managed "I don't want you to go." With that she let the sobs up, and started to cry for... well, she'd lost track that week.

"Oh, love," Carson said softly, wrapping his arms tightly around her, more soothing noises following.

After a few moments she managed to get some control back, and pulled back from him slightly. "I hate this," she hiccuped between the sobs. "I hate being so out of control all the time... I hate the way my brain is turning to jelly... how the simplest tasks take me longer..." She paused before continuing with more anger to her voice, "And I hate the fact that I finally get my appetite back, and there is no chocolate in this damn city!"

She wasn't sure, but she thought there may have been the slightest hint of a smile at that last one.

"I can't do this," she ploughed on. "I can't keep losing control, and being overwhelmed my emotions."

"Elizabeth... "

She pulled back from him, as if that could stop the truth of what he was about to say, "No... they need me to be Dr Weir, the leader of this city. They need me to be strong."

"Elizabeth," he said firmly, "you are the strongest person I know. You are an amazing leader, and a wonderful woman. But this is going to happen. You're going through amazing changes, your body is trying to keep up, and you are going to feel it. It doesn't stop you being that leader, or that strong person. And it doesn't stop you from being allowed to let those feelings out in here."

She sighed, and felt some of the tension drain slightly. "I know, I know." She looked up at him. "I just hate dumping all of this on you."

"Oh, love, that's what I'm here for." He pulled her into another tight hug. When he pulled back he continued, "Tell you what, we'll make a deal. I will put up with the mood swings, and the food cravings, and all the general craziness, if... " He paused to kiss her gently on the nose. "If you do the whole bringing a new life into the world thing."

Elizabeth felt a gently chuckle rumble out of her body, her hand instinctively going to the now more than prominent bump on the front of her body. She felt that head-spinning, sudden shift of emotions as pleasure flooded through her. "I suppose I could do that," she replied before kissing him softly, and just letting herself lean on him for a moment.

All too soon she pulled herself back and gestured for him to go back to his packing. With a final rub of her back he wandered over to it.

"Do you think you'll be able to innoculate everyone who needs it?" she asked in an attempt to make another grab at normality.

"Oh aye," he replied zipping up his bag, and turning back to her. "We've made plenty of the vaccine. Shouldn't be a problem."

Elizabeth paused in the wiping of her face with a tissue, aware that he seemed to be considering her.

"I presume you are planning to take your afternoon rests without me here to nag you?" he asked in a tone that showed he already knew her answer and wasn't about to be convinced by it.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes, I will be taking my rests."

Carson eyed her, leaving Elizabeth in no doubt how much he believed her... which didn't seem to be a great deal.

"I'll be fine," she insisted.

"Make sure you are," he replied, picking up his bag and coming over to her. "And remember there are plenty of people here who love and care about you. You're not alone." He kissed her gently, which Elizabeth wished he hadn't because she had managed to move from eye rolling to wanting to cry again. She was pretty sure she was setting some mood swing records here. But Carson was looking at her with gentleness and faith, so this time she kept it inside.

**

Two hours later she was sitting at her desk, still keeping those feelings under lock and key.

Work. That was what she needed. Something to focus on. Practical, impersonal things to make decisions on. She had done this before, she could do it again. The fact that her internal clock was now on countdown until Carson and his team were safely back was neither here nor there. Work. That was all that was needed at the moment.

"Hey."

Elizabeth risked lifting her head up from the laptop at the sound of John's voice.

"Hey," she replied, sitting herself up straight as John settled into the seat opposite.

"Did Carson and his team get off okay?"

She shifted slightly at the question before smiling firmly. "Fine."

John nodded in answer, before adopting that annoying, knowing look he occasionally wore. "They'll be fine, you know. The Demos people are very friendly, and the Marines I've sent with them are the best."

"I know," Elizabeth replied more quietly than she wanted to.

John seemed to consider more comment before leaning forward and putting a ration bag on the table in front of her. "Carson said you were looking for this."

Elizabeth picked up the bag and looked inside, a smile twitching at her lips at the sight that greeted her. Three whole chocolate bars. She looked up at John, who returned her gaze with an intently innocent look.

"Does Rodney know you have his secret stash of chocolate?"

John shifted slightly in his chair, which told Elizabeth that the aim had originally been not to tell him. She entertained herself with the imagined scene of John getting caught in the act.

"Yes, he does know," John replied eventually, "And he is happy for his friend to have them in her hour of need." He settled again. "Besides he seems to have some sort of deal going over access to the muffins in the mess, so I'm sure he'll be okay."

He smiled. "So, you going to try some of it? Rodney seems to smuggle only the best stuff here."

Elizabeth glanced at him, not knowing whether it would be seemly to tear into one of the bars right now. But John wanted her to, so that was okay. Wasn't it?

Cravings won out over image, and she pulled one of the bars out, quick to remove the wrapper and break a piece off. Popping it in her mouth she found she couldn't quite keep her eyes open. It was either that or letting out the moan that threatened to force its way out. She savoured the feeling as the delicate silk of the chocolate melt across her taste buds.

Life was suddenly so much better.

She opened her eyes to find John watching her with an amused look on her face.

"Good?" he asked.

She decided rueful honesty was the way to go. "You have no idea." Forcing herself to wrap the bar back up she said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, getting up from the chair, and heading for the door. "I'll be back at 12.30 to take you to lunch. Make sure you bring anything you need for your afternoon rest."

Elizabeth paused in the safe depositing of the chocolate in her desk drawer. Damn. Carson just knew her too well.

"And don't look at me like that," John said at her reproachful look. "It's my job to make sure you and expedition-leader junior there are safe and well. In the absence of Dad-to-be, that includes getting you to rest."

She obviously still had a reluctant look on her face as he continued, "12.30, or I take the chocolate back."

"Fine, fine... I'll come quietly," she replied, throwing her hands up in surrender.

As John wandered out with a grin on his face Elizabeth returned to gazing at her laptop. She did suddenly feel better, and didn't think it was just down to that exquisite piece of chocolate. She turned to watch the retreating form of her friend as he moved through the control room. The others seemed to be adjusting to having a pregnant leader much better than she was. They were happy for her, excited, even those who had in the past been seemingly child-phobic. They wanted to help. And none of them seemed to think it was making her less of a leader. That was probably just her.

She sighed, absentmindedly rubbing her belly. Life could be worse. She had a partner who adored her, and who she adored back; the only man she had ever wanted a child with and by some miracle they had actually managed to get this far. She had friends who stole chocolate for her, and who gave up chocolate for her. Staff that were bending over backwards to make sure she had space and time, yet never not letting her make the decisions. Yes, life could be a lot worse.

She smiled down at the belly she had been rubbing. She knew her life was going to be turned upside down by this little one. Knew the moment that she had told Carson she wanted a child, in that moment when his face had lit up, and before the one where he had started to list all the things that could go wrong, in some deference to being sensible and being the medical doctor. She knew it all back then, which meant feeling different, changing. That was okay right now. When you had people who loved you, and chocolate by your side, change was okay.

And the hormones? They would be fine once she had got hold of those damn authors. Then life would be just perfect.


End file.
